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A New Way to Look at Water Scarcity: The Example of Colombia by Gabriel LaHue

According to a new study, four billion people live under conditions of severe water scarcity for at least part of the year, which is twice the number previously estimated1. The discrepancy arises from the fact that previous estimates used annual data, which masks month-to-month variability and significant parts of the year where severe water scarcity may exist. This idea resonated with me, as I had been feeling the effects of water scarcity both at home and at work. I was living in Cali, Colombia while working as a visiting researcher at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT by its Spanish acronym) through the Research and Innovation Fellowship for Agriculture (RIFA). One might be forgiven for thinking of Colombia as a water-rich country after seeing images of the Colombian Amazon or the forested slopes of the Andes mountains. Indeed – the two wettest locations on earth are arguably in Colombia (Puerto Lopez and Lloro), each receiving 12 – 13 meters of rainfall a year (472 – 512 inches)2.

The lush vegetation of the Cordillera Occidental (Western Range) of the Andes, which belies the fact that the city of Cali, Colombia is experiencing water shortages and drought in the valley below.

 Yet despite this deluge and the lush forests in the mountains above Cali, we definitely felt the effects of water scarcity during our time in Cali. Our apartment in the neighborhood of El Peñon had water rationed during the dry season months of January and February. Frequently we returned from work at 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. ready to cook dinner, only to find that the water had already been shut off for the night. If we were lucky, the water would come back on at 6 a.m., giving us just enough time to shower before catching the 6:30 a.m. bus. If not . . .

It wasn’t just at home that I felt the effects of water scarcity, but I soon began to hear about it in my work. As mentioned in another blog post about my project, I was conducting interviews with irrigation districts and pilot surveys for a more extensive survey with rice farmers. Wherever I went, the first thing I heard about was water. Rice farmers in Jamundí, Valle de Cauca and El Zulia, Norte de Santander – opposite ends of Colombia and almost 1000 km apart – both described having to wait months to plant their next rice crop after the harvest due to water shortages. Balancing the needs of the environment and the needs of smallholder farmers (most Colombian rice farmers have less than 10 hectares) in situations like these can be quite a challenge.


The operations manager of the ASOZULIA irrigation district and myself at the district’s water intake and dam on the Río Zulia in Norte de Santander, Colombia.


The Río Zulia before (left) and after (right) the diversion of the river to the irrigation districts canals. Water scarcity in parts of the year greatly limits the availability of irrigation water to farmers.


What is (are) the solution(s) to this challenge? Should groundwater resources be sustainably developed to smooth over the intra-annual variations in surface water ability? Should organizations work with farmer groups to develop alternative income sources for the dry season? Should water-saving irrigation strategies be promoted in order to grow more rice with less water? I can’t answer these questions, but in my mind these ideas and many others are at least worthy of some initial investigation. While our research on barriers to the adoption of an alternative water management strategy for Colombian rice systems will not single-handedly solve the problem of seasonal water scarcity and competing interests for its use, we hope that by furthering our understanding of one potential water management strategy, we can be a small part of the solution.



Link 1: http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/2/e1500323.full

Link 2: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150827-the-wettest-place-on-earth

References
1.      Mekonnen, M.M., and A.Y. Hoekstra. 2016. Four billion people facing severe water scarcity. Science Advances. 2(2): e1500323.
2.      Davies, E. 2016. “What’s the wettest place on earth?” British Broadcasting Corporation. 27 August 2015. Internet Resource. Available from: http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150827-the-wettest-place-on-earth

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